Sweet Potato Quesadilla, Lemon Cumin Chicken,

Hey everyone, what's up? I've been finding some amazing recipes that I'm so excited to share with you- I hope you enjoy



Sweet Potato Quesadilla- I got this off a vegetarian website and it is amazing!
It's much more filling than a plain cheese quesadilla- you roast a sweet potato and a red onion and you get these delicious spicy, soft veggies that you could totally eat by themselves, they're so good.

Then, if you want, you place them on a tortilla, sprinkle some cheese on top, and cook until heated through and until you get those beautiful grill marks that I love:)

• ½ medium red onion
• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼” slices
• 2½ tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Juice from half a lime
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 4 whole wheat flour tortillas
• 2-3 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400˚. Cut the onion and peppers into small chopped pieces. Toss the onion and pepper with the sweet potato, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and sea salt until everything is well coated. Spread vegetables in a single layer on a large baking tray. Roast until tender and lightly charring, 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully toss roasted vegetables with lime juice and cilantro.
2. Preheat grill or skillet over medium-low. Brush each tortilla with olive oil and place one tortilla in the skillet. Cook for 30 seconds and flip then layer with the cheese, sweet potatoes, peppers, and onions. Top with other tortilla. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes until each side is crispy and cheese is melted.

Lemon-Cumin Chicken

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Pesto

• 1 1/2 packed cups fresh mint leaves
• 1 packed cup baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•  Cooking spray

Directions

1. For the chicken, whisk together the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and red pepper flakes in a glass baking dish. Add the chicken and coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hr or overnight.

2. For the pesto, blend the mint, spinach, cheese, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor until chunky. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil and process until smooth; set aside.

3. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding any excess. Grill chicken until cooked through, 4 to 5 min per side. Serve chicken with the pesto.

Sausage Stuffed Appetizers( From New Year's) & Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Just a few recipes I found delicious when I made them on New Year's Eve.
Hope you all enjoy!

" Sausage' stuffed mushrooms

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, one turn of the pan
24 large gourmet stuffing mushroom caps, stems removed and reserved brushed with damp towel
Salt and pepper
Stuffing:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, half a turn of the pan
3/4 pound sweet bulk Italian sausage( I used Turkey sausage or ground' turkey"( It has less fat) )again you can use whatever you want though)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
20 stems mushrooms, finely chopped
1 rib of celery and green, leafy top from the heart of the stalk, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (10-ounce) box chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 slices white bread, toasted and buttered, chopped into small dice( I used whole wheat bread, but you can do either)
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano or Romano, 2 handfuls
Directions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and mushroom caps and season caps with salt and pepper. Saute caps 5 to 7 minutes, until they are lightly browned and tender on edges. Turn caps up and let juices drain away from caps. Transfer caps to a small nonstick baking sheet. Wipe out skillet and return to heat. Add a touch of oil and sausage to the hot skillet. Brown and crumble sausage for 3 minutes. In a food processor pulse and chop the garlic, add mushroom stems and pulse to chop the mushroom stems. Add celery, onion and red bell pepper to the mushrooms and pulse to chop. Remove mixture from the processor and saute veggies and mushrooms over medium high heat another 3 to 5 minutes. Add dry, defrosted spinach and stir into stuffing. Add chopped bread and cheese to the pan and toss stuffing until bread is moist and stuffing is combined, 2 or 3 minutes. Fill caps with stuffing using a small scoop or large spoon. Place caps in hot oven and reduce heat to 450 degrees F. Bake 6 to 8 minutes to crisp edges of stuffing and set stuffing in mushrooms. Transfer stuffed mushrooms to a serving plate.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/sausage-stuffed-mushrooms-recipe.html?oc=linkback

" Lemon Ricotta Cookies" 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

Per Cookie: Calories: 113; Total Fat 3.5 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 2 grams; Total carbohydrates: 19 grams; Sugar: 13 grams Fiber: 0 grams; Cholesterol: 20 milligrams; Sodium: 76 milligrams
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Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-ricotta-cookies-with-lemon-glaze-recipe.html?oc=linkback